A linear array of 980 nm VCSEL and its high temperature operation characteristics

A 980 nm bottom-emitting vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser linear array with high power density and a good beam property of Gaussian far-field distribution is reported. This array is composed of five linearly arranged elements with a 200 μm diameter one at the center, the other two 150 μm and 100 μm diameter ones at both sides of the center with center to center spacing of 300 μm and 250 μm, respectively. A power of 880 mW at a current of 4 A and a corresponding power density of up to 1 kW/cm² is obtained. The temperature dependent characteristics of the linear array are investigated. The thermal interaction between the individual elements of the VCSEL linear array is smaller due to its optimized element size and device spacing, which make it more suitable for high power applications. A peak power of over 20 W has been achieved in pulsed operation with a 60 ns pulse length and a repetition frequency of 1 kHz.